Written Answers Friday 16 September 2005

Scottish Executive

Direct Payments

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals in each local authority area are currently in receipt of direct payments under section 7 of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.

Lewis Macdonald: Not all the data requested is available. Table 1 of the 2004-05 statistics release, published by the Scottish Executive on 13 September at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/74529 , shows the numbers and values of direct payments for self-directed community care by local authority. A copy is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37408.) Data for 2005-06 will be published in September 2006.

Direct Payments

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals in receipt of direct payments under section 7 of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 are required to make a user’s contribution and how much has been ingathered from this source in (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each local authority area.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally. User contributions may be required for all local authority community care services, apart from free personal care for older people.

Direct Payments

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities permit recipients of direct payments to purchase services directly from the local authority making such payments and what the cost of services is in each case.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many recipients of direct payments in each local authority area are in (a) part-time and (b) full-time work and how many recipients in each category are in receipt of income taking them over the level assessed as being required for their needs.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.

Direct Payments

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals in each local authority area are employed in the delivery of services to people in receipt of direct payments and how many such individuals are local authority employees.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally. However, most of this data will be available from 2005-06 onwards.

Direct Payments

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average capped income recipients of direct payments in each local authority area are allowed to retain before being required to pay back part of the cost of their care.

Lewis Macdonald: Direct payment recipients are usually allowed to keep two months’ allocation of money as contingency before paying back part of the cost of their care.

Drug Misuse

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reoffending rates for drug offences were in 2003-04 and 2004-05, broken down by local authority area.

Cathy Jamieson: The following table gives the most recent available information which is for the cohort of offenders discharged from custody or given a non-custodial sentence in 2001.

  Persons Released from a Custodial Sentence or given a Non-Custodial Sentence in 2001

  Percentage of Offenders with an Index Conviction for Drugs Offences who are Reconvicted within Two Years, by Approximate Local Authority Area

  

Local Authority*
Total Number (=100%)
Percentage Reconvicted within Two Years
Percentage with a Custodial Reconviction within Two Years


Aberdeen1
398
36
10


Angus 
64
50
13


Argyll and Bute
104
33
4


Ayrshire2
392
48
14


Clackmannanshire
26
31
4


Dumfries and Galloway
67
36
12


Dundee City
150
47
13


East Lothian
41
22
7


Edinburgh3
356
40
13


Eilean Siar
15
27
0


Falkirk 
116
35
10


Fife 
111
32
6


Glasgow4
866
34
12


Highland
237
36
5


Inverclyde
138
48
16


Lanarkshire5
576
43
9


Moray 
63
30
5


Orkney Islands
5
60
0


Perth and Kinross
119
32
10


Renfrewshire6
124
36
10


Scottish Borders
76
46
11


Shetland Islands
18
22
0


Stirling
76
47
12


West Lothian
86
36
8


Scotland7
4,550
38
11



  Notes:

  *Approximate Local Authority area based on the court of the offender’s index conviction.

  1. Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire (Aberdeen, Banff, Stonehaven and Peterhead Sheriff Courts).

  2. North, South and East Ayrshire (Kilmarnock and Ayr Sheriff Courts).

  3. City of Edinburgh and Midlothian (Edinburgh Sheriff Court).

  4. Glasgow City, East and West Dunbartonshire (Glasgow and Dumbarton Sheriff Courts and Stipendiary Magistrates).

  5. North and South Lanarkshire (Airdrie, Hamilton and Lanark Sheriff Courts).

  6. Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire (Paisley Sheriff Court).

  7. Includes High Court and Remit to High.

Homelessness

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households presenting as homeless in 2003-04 under section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 were offered a secure tenancy by the local authority or registered social landlord operating in that authority's area, broken down by local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities submit an HL1 return to the Scottish Executive for each application made to them under the homeless persons’ legislation: this return reports on the action taken by local authorities to discharge their statutory duties. Section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 allows a local authority to request that a registered social landlord provide accommodation for a homeless applicant who the local authority has a duty to house under the legislation. Under the current legislation, a local authority has a duty to secure permanent accommodation for households assessed as being unintentionally homeless and in priority need.

  The following table shows the percentage of homeless applications, and those assessed as being unintentionally homeless in priority need, in each local authority reported to have resulted in an offer of local authority or registered social landlord accommodation.

  Homelessness Applicants Offered Social Rented Accommodation by Local Authority: 2003-04

  

 
 
All Applications in Period
Social Rented Accommodation Offered
Applications Assessed as Priority Unintentional Homeless
Social Rented Accommodation Offered


Number
%
Number
%


Scotland
56,297
15,499
28
25,685
11,928
46


Aberdeen City
1,855
448
24
507
441
87


Aberdeenshire
1,187
266
22
403
211
52


Angus
1,308
322
25
351
208
59


Argyll and Bute
904
180
20
307
154
50


Clackmannanshire
1,004
220
22
290
201
69


Dumfries and Galloway
1,579
502
32
556
368
66


Dundee City
1,155
311
27
300
187
62


East Ayrshire
1,017
374
37
317
247
78


East Dunbartonshire
640
139
22
186
95
51


East Lothian
889
172
19
215
136
63


East Renfrewshire
397
121
30
133
80
60


Edinburgh, City of
5,492
1,969
36
2,880
1,478
51


Eilean Siar
214
70
33
70
50
71


Falkirk
1,629
552
34
506
382
75


Fife
3,893
1,060
27
1,727
816
47


Glasgow City
12,712
2,575
20
9,046
2,001
22


Highland
2,103
608
29
581
369
64


Inverclyde
698
260
37
356
223
63


Midlothian
523
106
20
258
105
41


Moray
629
234
37
231
199
86


North Ayrshire
1,822
629
35
941
603
64


North Lanarkshire
3,147
1,037
33
1,258
831
66


Orkney
166
28
17
52
27
52


Perth and Kinross
1,449
546
38
228
168
74


Renfrewshire
1,478
428
29
502
402
80


Scottish Borders, The
856
285
33
411
257
63


Shetland
186
18
10
73
17
23


South Ayrshire
1,018
214
21
326
194
60


South Lanarkshire
2,497
703
28
920
513
56


Stirling
890
141
16
253
117
46


West Dunbartonshire
1,231
513
42
696
502
72


West Lothian
1,729
468
27
805
346
43



  Source: HL1 returns submitted by local authorities to the Scottish Executive Development Department Analytical Services Division (Housing Statistics)

  Note: All applications within period, including lost contact/withdrawal/resolved prior to assessment or discharge of duty.

Homelessness

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of local authority and registered social landlord vacancies in 2003-04 were offered to households presenting as homeless under section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act, broken down by local authority area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 allows a local authority to request that a registered social landlord provide accommodation for a homeless applicant who the local authority has a duty to house under the legislation. Local authorities submit a lettings return to the Scottish Executive giving the number of dwellings falling vacant during the quarter, permanent lettings made and permanent lettings to homeless households. Similar information is collected from registered social landlords by Communities Scotland through the Annual Performance and Statistical Return. The number of permanent lettings during a period tends to be lower than the number of dwellings falling vacant, and therefore, to provide a more meaningful comparison, lets to homeless households are presented as a proportion of all permanent lets.

  The following tables show the percentage of permanent lets by local authorities to homeless households (Table 1) and the percentage of lets to homeless households by registered social landlords (Table 2).

  Table 1 Permanent Lets to Homeless Households by Local Authority: 2003-04

  

 
Total Permanent Lets
Lets to Homeless Households
Lets to Homeless as % of All Lets


Scotland
39,136
8,469
22


Aberdeen City
2,905
217
7


Aberdeenshire
1,522
226
15


Angus
972
247
25


Argyll and Bute
617
214
35


Clackmannanshire
487
172
35


Dumfries and Galloway
na
na
na


Dundee City
2,533
209
8


East Ayrshire
1,663
225
14


East Dunbartonshire
350
131
37


East Lothian
440
123
28


East Renfrewshire
295
69
23


City of Edinburgh
3,178
742
23


Eilean Siar
202
59
29


Falkirk
1,733
434
25


Fife
3,528
816
23


Glasgow City
na
na
na


Highland
1,376
411
30


Inverclyde
1,068
287
27


Midlothian
311
108
35


Moray
469
152
32


North Ayrshire
1,340
639
48


North Lanarkshire
4,276
599
14


Orkney
71
12
17


Perth and Kinross
668
271
41


Renfrewshire
1,666
293
18


Scottish Borders
na
na
na


Shetland
199
28
14


South Ayrshire
977
213
22


South Lanarkshire
2,689
503
19


Stirling
1,225
317
26


West Dunbartonshire 
1,176
381
32


West Lothian
1,200
371
31



  Source: Lettings returns by local authorities to Scottish Executive Development Department Analytical Services Division (Housing Statistics).

  Note: Following housing stock transfers, figures for Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Scottish Borders are not included.

  Table 2 Permanent Lets to Homeless Households by Registered Social Landlords: 2003-04

  

 
All Lets
Permanent Lets to Homeless Households
Lets to Homeless as % of all Lets


Scotland
30,544
3,418
11


Registered social landlords operating in one local authority area
 
 
 


Aberdeen City 
2
0
0


Aberdeenshire 
75
1
1


Argyll and Bute 
225
4
2


Dumfries and Galloway 
1,117
480
43


Dundee City 
12
0
0


East Ayrshire 
245
11
4


East Lothian 
136
0
0


East Renfrewshire 
95
1
1


City of Edinburgh 
750
97
13


Eilean Siar 
26
1
4


Fife 
326
10
3


Glasgow City
12,333
2,128
17


Highland 
147
13
9


Inverclyde 
284
8
3


Moray 
107
4
4


North Ayrshire 
61
12
20


North Lanarkshire 
424
6
1


Orkney
66
1
2


Perth and Kinross 
231
70
30


Renfrewshire 
795
0
0


Scottish Borders 
1,367
147
11


Shetland
43
1
2


South Ayrshire 
127
22
17


South Lanarkshire 
332
38
11


Stirling 
146
0
0


West Dunbartonshire 
477
33
7


West Lothian 
383
9
2


Registered social landlords operating in more than one local authority area
10,212
321
3



  Source: Annual Performance and Statistical Return by registered social landlords to Communities Scotland Regulation and Inspection Division.

  Note: Local authority percentages are indicative only as one-third of lets are by registered social landlords which operate over more than one local authority area. Figures from these organisations cannot be broken down by local authority.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any age restrictions in respect of applicants for computer training funding under the Individual Learning Account (ILA) scheme and, if so, what these restrictions will be.

Nicol Stephen: Applicants have to be aged 18 years or over. There is no upper age restriction on applicants’ eligibility to apply for ILA Scotland funding.

Nutrition

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the diets of children held in secure accommodation.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not gathered by the Scottish Executive. It is the responsibility of the Care Commission to inspect all aspects of secure care against the National Care Standards for School Care Accommodation Services (Bib. number 20145) and the National Care Standards covering Care Homes for Children and Young People (Bib. number 20147).

Nutrition

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any research into the impact of diet on the behaviour of children held in secure accommodation and, if not, whether it will do so.

Cathy Jamieson: No specific research has been undertaken in this area and there currently no plans to do so. Practice within secure accommodation continues to be informed by wider research and resulting initiatives focussing on young peoples’ diet such as the Hungry for Success scheme which is expected to be implemented in all primary, secondary and special schools by December 2006.

Renewable Energy

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the "It's Only Natural" renewable energy information tour, announced on 15 August 2005.

Nicol Stephen: The tour is estimated to cost around £400,000.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much electricity from renewable sources, expressed in terawatt-hours per year (TWH/yr), it estimates will be generated if the new 2020 target of 40% of installed capacity is met.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-17105 on 20 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  No revision has been made to our renewable energy targets. In its report, the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland projected that circa 43TWh would be required in 2020 to meet demand. 40% of 43TWh equates to 17.2TWh from renewable sources in that year. The member will wish to refer to Annex A of the report, on page 16.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recent alteration in the 2020 renewable energy target of 40% of installed capacity was made in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry and/or the European Union altering their targets.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-17105 on 20 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search . No revision has been made to our renewable energy targets.

Scottish Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has had with Scottish Enterprise about possible reorganisation of the structure of the local enterprise company network.

Nicol Stephen: Officials have discussed with Scottish Enterprise whether they might wish to bring forward any proposals relating to the organisational structure of Scottish Enterprise. No specific proposals have been put forward or are currently under consideration.

Scottish Executive Accommodation

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all Executive-owned properties detailing (a) their staff capacity, (b) their current capacity, (c) what functions are currently carried out in each building, (d) the approximate cash value of each property and (e) the running costs of each property.

Mr Tom McCabe: The following table shows the number of staff currently employed, the functions undertaken, the market value and the annual running costs of each of the buildings listed. Running costs represent the total amount paid out in rates, maintenance, utilities, catering and cleaning etc. for the financial year 2004-05.

  The Scottish Executive does not hold the staff capacity of each building.

  

Owned Properties
Current Capacity (SE staff only)
Functions (SE Departments only)
Cash Value At 31-03-05
Running Costs for 2004-05


St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh
1,350
Health Department,Justice Department,Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£20,000,000
£1,731,177


Old Governor’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh
12
Finance and Central Services Department,Change and Corporate Services
£950,000
£52,214


Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh
870
Change and Corporate Services,Environment and Rural Affairs DepartmentEducation DepartmentJustice Department
£7,000,000
£1,201.501


Cotgreen Road, Tweedbank, Galashiels
58
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£375,000
£86,229


Cadzow Court, Wellhall Road, Hamilton
25
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£510,000
£78,766


Longman House, 28 Longman Road, Inverness
69
Environment and Rural Affairs DepartmentEducation DepartmentScottish Fisheries Protection Agency
£1,750,000
£150,628


Knowsley, Fairfield Road, Inverness
-
Deer Commission for Scotland
£400,000
 


Thainstone Court, Inverurie
94
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£1,350,000
£149,297


Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall
14
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£400,000
£58,728


Cameron House, Albany Street, Oban
29
Environment and Rural Affairs Department,Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
£630,000
£90,605


Jeanfield House, Jeanfield Road, Perth
0
Property vacated and in process of being sold
£525,000
 


Scorrybreck, Portree
10
Environment and Rural Affairs DepartmentScottish Fisheries Protection Agency
£175,000
£42,604


10 Keith Street, Stornoway
11
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£152,000
£52,799


Station Street, Stranraer
3
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£50,000
£26,363


Strathbeg House, Clarence Street, Thurso
18
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£200,000
£54,118


Victoria Quay, Leith, Edinburgh
2078
Environment and Rural Affairs DepartmentEducation DepartmentDevelopment DepartmentEnterprise, Transport and Life Long Learning DepartmentLegal and Parliamentary Services
£46,360,000
£2,649,340


Balivanich, Benbecula
12
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£45,000
£41,971

Scottish Executive Accommodation

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all properties that the Executive rents detailing (a) their staff capacity, (b) their current capacity, (c) what functions are currently being carried out in each building and (d) the running costs of each property.

Mr Tom McCabe: The following table shows the number of staff currently employed, the functions undertaken and the annual running costs of each of the buildings listed. Running costs represent the total amount paid out in rent and rates, maintenance, utilities, catering and cleaning etc. for the financial year 2004-05. Tiree and Kinlochleven are new additions to the estate.

  The Scottish Executive does not hold the staff capacity of these buildings.

  

Rented Properties
Current Capacity(SE Staff Only)
Functions
Running Costs


Bute House, 6 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
0
First Minister’s residence
£55,345


23 Walker Street, Edinburgh
30
Scottish Executive sponsored projects
£72,010


Southlands, 32 Reidhaven Street, Elgin
14
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£60,337


Europa Building, Glasgow
219
Enterprise, Transport and Life Long Learning Department,
£931,984


Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow
343
Enterprise, Transport and Life Long Learning Department,Finance and Central Services Department
£1,940,235


Unit 4A and B Elizafield, Edinburgh
16
Garage and workshop
£151,615


141 Leith Walk, Edinburgh
6
Store
£185,837


Unit 6B Tower Street, Leith
1
Store
£44,150


Pentland House, 47 Robbs Loan, Edinburgh
650
Environment and Rural Affairs Department,Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
£2,270,940


130 Blochairn Road, Glasgow
4
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£25,185


Ord Croft, Lairg
5
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£20,028


Unit 4 Callender Business Park, Falkirk
28
SE Inquiry Reporters Unit
£96,325


Strathern House, Broxden, Perth
96
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
£744,231


Tiree
9
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
N/A


Kinlochleven
9
Change and Corporate Services
N/A

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many temporary workers it has employed since devolution, expressed also as a percentage of its total workforce, broken down by location and grade.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is shown in the following tables and refers to temporary staff employed directly in the Scottish Executive core departments at 1 April of each year.

  Table 1, Temporary Staff Employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 April 1999

  

 
Band A
Band B
Band C
Senior Civil Service


Total 
128
21
3
1


% of total workforce in payband
7.6%
1.3%
0.6%
0.6%


Location
 
 
 
 


Ayr 
1
2
.
.


Dumfries 
1
2
.
.


Dundee 
3
.
.
.


Edinburgh 
109
9
3
1


Elgin 
1
.
.
.


Galashiels 
1
.
.
.


Glasgow 
4
.
.
.


Gullane 
1
.
.
.


Inverurie 
2
5
.
.


Lerwick 
1
.
.
.


London 
2
.
.
.


Inverness 
.
1
.
.


Perth 
.
1
.
.


Stirling 
1
1
.
.


Stornoway 
1
.
.
.


Thurso 
1
.
.
.



  Table 2, Temporary Staff Employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 April 2000

  

 
Band A
Band B
Band C


Total 
55
32
6


% of total workforce in payband
3.4%
1.8%
1.0%


Location
 
 
.


Dumfries 
3
3
.


Dundee 
3
.
.


Edinburgh 
29
5
5


Galashiels 
1
2
.


Glasgow 
1
.
1


Hamilton 
1
1
.


Inverness 
1
.
.


Inverurie 
2
10
.


Kirkwall 
1
1
.


London 
2
.
.


Oban 
1
2
.


Perth 
2
2
.


Portree 
.
1
.


Stirling 
4
2
.


Thurso 
1
.
.



  Table 3, Temporary Staff Employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 April 2001

  

 
Band A
Band B
Band C


Total 
51
37
7


% of total workforce in payband
3.2%
2.0%
1.2%


Location
 
 
 


 Ayr 
18
1
.


 Dumfries 
2
6
.


 Dundee 
1
.
.


 Edinburgh 
17
13
6


 Elgin 
1
.
.


 Galashiels 
4
2
.


 Glasgow 
1
5
1


 Gullane 
1
.
.


 Hamilton 
.
1
.


 Inverness 
2
1
.


 Inverurie 
2
1
.


 Lerwick 
.
1
.


 Oban 
1
.
.


 Perth 
.
2
.


 Portree 
.
1
.


 Stirling 
1
2
.


 Thurso 
.
1
.



  Table 4, Temporary Staff Employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 April 2002

  

 
Band A
Band B
Band C
Senior Civil Service


Total 
97
74
6
1


% of total workforce in payband
5.9%
3.6%
1.0%
0.6%


Location
 
 
 
 


Ayr 
27
6
.
.


Dumfries 
5
6
.
.


Dundee 
2
.
.
.


Edinburgh 
41
37
6
1


Galashiels 
4
1
.
.


Glasgow 
1
14
.
.


Gullane 
1
.
.
.


Inverness 
7
2
.
.


Inverurie 
8
3
.
.


Perth 
1
2
.
.


Portree 
.
1
.
.


Stirling 
.
1
.
.


Stornoway 
.
1
.
.



  Table 5, Temporary Staff Employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 April 2003

  

 
Band A
Band B
Band C


Total 
39
62
8


% of total workforce in payband
2.5%
2.8%
1.2%


Location
 
 
 


 Ayr 
4
1
.


 Dumfries 
1
5
.


 Dundee 
2
.
.


 Edinburgh 
26
32
8


 Galashiels 
1
4
.


 Glasgow 
2
3
.


 Gullane 
1
.
.


 Hamilton 
.
1
.


 Inverness 
1
.
.


 Inverurie 
.
9
.


 Kirkwall 
1
.
.


 Perth 
.
4
.


 Portree 
.
2
.


 Thurso 
.
1
.



  Table 6, Temporary Staff Employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 April 2004

  

 
Band A
Band B
Band C


Total 
20
48
3


% of total workforce in payband
1.3%
2.1%
0.5%


Location
 
 
 


Ayr 
2
2
.


Dumfries 
1
5
.


Edinburgh 
5
22
3


Elgin 
2
.
.


Galashiels 
1
2
.


Glasgow 
1
2
.


Hamilton 
.
2
.


Inverness 
3
3
.


Inverurie 
1
2
.


Kirkwall 
.
1
.


Perth 
4
3
.


Portree 
.
3
.


Thurso 
.
1
.



  Table 7, Temporary Staff Employed by the Scottish Executive at 1 April 2005

  

 
Band A
Band B
Band C


Total 
21
29
2


% of total workforce in payband
1.5%
1.2%
0.3%


Location
 
 
 


 Ayr 
7
2
.


 Dumfries 
2
7
.


 Edinburgh 
6
11
2


 Elgin 
.
1
.


 Galashiels 
2
.
.


 Hamilton 
.
1
.


 Inverurie 
2
2
.


 Perth 
.
4
.


 Portree 
.
1
.


 Thurso 
2
.
.

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many temporary workers it has employed in each year since devolution.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is shown in the following table and refers to temporary staff employed directly in the Scottish Executive core departments.

  Temporary Staff in Scottish Executive Core Departments as at 1 April of Each Year

  

Year
All Temporary Staff


1999
153


2000
93


2001
95


2002
178


2003
109


2004
71


2005
52

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its temporary staff since devolution have obtained permanent full-time employment with the Executive.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally.

Correction

The reply to question S2W-17642, which was originally answered on 25 July 2005, has been corrected: see page 5866 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-05/wa0914.htm.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Crown Appointees

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what measures are in place to protect appointees of the Crown nominated by the Parliament from political pressure.

Nora Radcliffe: To ensure their independence and to protect them from any political pressure the legislation establishing the various offices provides that crown appointees are not subject to the direction or control of the SPCB, any member of the Scottish Executive or any member of the Parliament.

Crown Appointees

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what avenues are open to appointees of the Crown nominated by the Parliament to refer to the Parliament for assistance.

Nora Radcliffe: There are no specific avenues provided for under the legislation for appointees of the Crown nominated by the Parliament to refer to the Parliament for assistance.

  Provision does, however, exist in the legislation establishing the various offices for officeholders to lay annual reports before Parliament. It is open to the office holders to determine what is included in the reports, subject to the statutory provisions.

Crown Appointees

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what avenues are open to appointees of the Crown nominated by the Parliament to refer to the Parliament approaches made to them seeking to influence their decisions for political ends.

Nora Radcliffe: Crown appointees are independent officeholders and should be able to deal with any such approaches by having a robust policy in place.

  Provision does exist in the legislation establishing the various offices for officeholders to lay annual reports before Parliament. It is open to the office holders to determine what is included in the reports, subject to the statutory provisions.